Human Rights Law Network (HRLN), Kashmir unit has recently taken up the issue of trafficking of women from different parts of India to Kashmir Valley, either for the purpose of marriage or as domestic help. Although at first, the issue of trafficking of women in Kashmir did not seem to be as alarming as in other parts of the country,

HRLN discovered that many women have been trafficked to various parts of the Kashmir valley and Ladakh region. Most of the trafficked women are in the 16-35 age group and from Bihar and West Bengal. HRLN’s initiative on trafficking ring in Kashmir commenced after a Two-day consultation with Groupe Developpement South Asian Chapter on October 25, 2007, which reflected the plight of Bengali girls trafficked into the Kashmir valley. In April 2009, HRLN-Kashmir made an intervention in two cases of trafficking. The first was the case of two sisters, Rukhsana and Shameema, who had been trafficked from their home in Bihar to Kashmir. Rukhsana was married to one Baj Khan of Qazigund, who had come to their village in Bihar along with a broker. The broker, who arranged women for Kashmiri men, had lured Rukhsana’s family to marry her to Baj Khan (who is 15 years older than Rukhsana), in return of Rs 16,000 as well as taking another of their daughters to Kashmir in order to marry her off there. Baj Khan paid for both girls besides a Mehar of Rs 2500 for Rukhsana. But soon after he began using violence against her, torturing her, and depriving her of food and clothing. To make things worse, Khan regularly sexually assaulted his sister-in-law, Shameema as well. Rukhsana’s health started deteriorating and soon the villagers discovered that she was kept locked in the house. The timely intervention of the villagers resulted in Rukhsana being admitted to a hospital, where she was examined as HIV positive. Baj Khan fled leaving Rukhsana and Shameema to fend for themselves. This is when they contacted HRLN. However, by this time Rukhsana’s health had deteriorated so badly that she succumbed to her illnesses on April 15, 2009. HRLN has lodged a formal complaint against Baj Khan and is following up the case. The HRLN unit also made the arrangements for Rukhsana’s burial and helped Shameema to return to her family in Bihar. The second case pertains to Bihar’s 22-year-old Samiya, who was married to Shafiq Ahmad of Chowkibal, Kupwara district in November 2008. Within two months, Ahmad began ill-treating her and ultimately divorced her without paying the Mehar. Even after the divorce, Samiya was not allowed to return to Bihar and it subsequently emerged that Shafiq Ahmed had actually purchased her from her parents, for Rs 25,000. Samiya was then sold to another person in Kupwara and had to undergo further sexual assault for a fortnight. Samiya finally managed to contact her brother, Shamim Ahmad Ansari in Bihar, who in turn got in touch with HRLN’s unit in Kashmir. HRLN team made an attempt to locate Samiya in Kupwara but was unable to do so due to the hostile atmosphere in the village. Finally, with the help of Advocate Bilal Malik, a volunteer from Kupwara, HRLN moved an application under section 100 of the Code of Criminal Procedure on behalf of Samiya’s brother, seeking directions to the SHO concerned to bring the victim before the Magistrate. On July 23, 2009, HRLN managed to get the victim before the Magistrate, where her statement was recorded and eventually she was handed over to her brother and HRLN team members.

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